Cory Conacher

Cory Conacher
Born	(1989-12-14) December 14, 1989 Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Professional ice hockey centre (retired)
Years active	2010–2024
Known for	Playing in the NHL for Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders; AHL and Swiss National League career; Calder Cup winner and AHL MVP

Cory Conacher (born December 14, 1989) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre. Although undrafted, he competed in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, and New York Islanders.

Youth

Growing up in Burlington, Ontario, Conacher participated in AAA and AA hockey within the OMHA's Tri-County League before moving up to Major Midget AAA during the 2005-06 season. He subsequently joined the Burlington Cougars Jr. A team competing in the OJHL for the 2006-07 campaign.

Collegiate career

At Canisius College, Conacher represented the Golden Griffins in collegiate hockey, setting school records for career points (147), goals (62), and game-winning goals (12) across 129 games. Despite his smaller stature, he established 12 program milestones and earned a Finance degree upon graduation.

Tampa Bay Lightning (first stint)

Following his senior year in 2010–11, Conacher signed amateur try-out agreements with the Rochester Americans, Cincinnati Cyclones, and Milwaukee Admirals. On July 6, 2011, he secured a one-year contract with the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL.

During the 2011–12 season, after participating in Tampa Bay Lightning’s preseason camp, Conacher led all rookies in scoring and was selected for the AHL All-Star Classic. On March 1, 2012, he inked a two-year, two-way deal with Tampa Bay. He played a pivotal role in Norfolk capturing their inaugural Calder Cup and was awarded the Les Cunningham Award as league MVP—becoming only the fourth rookie to earn this honor since 1948—alongside the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award and placements on both the AHL All-Rookie and Second All-Star Teams.

At the onset of the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Conacher began with Tampa Bay’s new AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. Once NHL play resumed, he quickly made an impact by netting his first NHL goal on opening night against Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby. He ranked second among NHL rookies with 24 points over 35 games before being traded at the deadline to the Ottawa Senators—along with a fourth-round draft pick—in exchange for goaltender Ben Bishop on April 3, 2013.

Ottawa Senators

Conacher’s inaugural full season with Ottawa in 2013–14 proved difficult offensively; he managed only four goals across 58 games and was sidelined as a healthy scratch on several occasions. His offensive struggles contrasted sharply with goaltender Bishop’s strong emergence as a Vezina Trophy contender—the player acquired in exchange for Conacher. On March 4, 2014, shortly before the NHL trade deadline, Ottawa placed him on waivers; he was claimed by the Buffalo Sabres the next day.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres chose not to extend a contract offer to Conacher, making him an unrestricted free agent as of June 30, 2014. The organization postponed their decision regarding his rights until just before releasing him.

New York Islanders

On July 1, 2014, Conacher agreed to a one-year contract worth $600,000 with the New York Islanders. After featuring in 15 of their first 29 games, he was waived on December 12 and subsequently assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, following clearance through waivers. On March 2, 2015, Conacher was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Dustin Jeffrey of the Utica Comets and was assigned to Utica where he played a significant offensive role in helping reach the Calder Cup finals.

SC Bern

Conacher departed from the NHL as a free agent on July 1, 2015, and promptly inked a two-year deal with SC Bern, a team competing in Switzerland’s National League A (NLA). Later that year, in December 2015, he earned a selection to represent Team Canada at the Spengler Cup, contributing to their championship victory and securing a place on the tournament’s all-star lineup. During that same season, Conacher helped SC Bern capture the National League A championship, tallying five goals across 14 playoff contests.

Tampa Bay Lightning (second tenure)

On July 13, 2016, Conacher rejoined the Tampa Bay Lightning by signing a one-year, one-way contract. His strong performance earned him a spot on the North Division squad for the 2017 American Hockey League All-Star Classic while playing with the Syracuse Crunch on January 29, 2017. Subsequently, on April 6, 2017, he was honored by being named to the AHL All-Star Second Team for the 2016-17 campaign. The Lightning showed continued confidence in him by offering a two-year contract extension worth $1.3 million on June 28, 2017, followed by an additional one-year extension on October 17, 2018.

Lausanne HC

Conacher made his return to Switzerland’s National League on July 28, 2020, when he signed a three-year agreement with Lausanne HC. Midway through the following season, on February 16, 2021, he moved back to SC Bern under a fresh three-year contract extending through the 2022/23 season. Later, on February 23, 2022, SC Bern announced that Conacher would be loaned out to HC Ambrì-Piotta for the remainder of that season.

Later career

After spending two seasons in Switzerland and aiming to compete closer to home, Conacher returned to North America for the 2022–23 season by signing a professional tryout contract (PTO) with the Belleville Senators—the AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators—on November 1, 2022. Unfortunately, after only two appearances, a long-term injury resulted in his release. On February 22, 2023, he secured another PTO with the Charlotte Checkers, affiliated with the Florida Panthers, where he accumulated nine points over fifteen games.

As a free agent later that year, Conacher agreed to a one-year contract with the Chicago Wolves on June 1, 2023. Subsequently, he accepted a PTO invitation to attend the Carolina Hurricanes training camp ahead of the 2023 NHL season on August 29, 2023. In what became his final professional season, Conacher recorded eight goals and totaled nineteen points across sixty-six regular-season games with the Wolves.

Personal

Born with bladder exstrophy, Conacher underwent intricate surgery shortly after birth to reconstruct his pelvis and internalize his bladder. Initially, medical professionals expressed concerns about his ability to walk normally. At eight years old, he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and currently manages this condition using an insulin pump during gameplay.

He is distantly related to Hockey Hall of Famers Charlie, Roy, and Lionel Conacher but shares no familial ties with former NHL forward Pat Conacher. Cory’s younger brother Shane has also pursued a professional hockey career and was active during the 2023–24 season with the Dundas Real McCoys. Both siblings excelled at Canisius College—Cory graduating in 2011 and Shane in 2013—though they never played together.

Post-playing career

On July 5, 2024, Conacher expanded into sports franchise ownership by acquiring the Strathroy Rockets of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, marking his debut in team management.

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2005–06	Burlington Eagles AAA	Midget		48	30	33	63	30		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Burlington Cougars	OPJHL		48	22	40	62	62		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Canisius College	AHA		20	7	10	17	24		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Canisius College	AHA		37	12	23	35	42		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Canisius College	AHA		35	20	33	53	36		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Canisius College	AHA		37	23	19	42	54		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Rochester Americans	AHL		2	1	0	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Cincinnati Cyclones	ECHL		3	5	2	7	0		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		5	3	2	5	2		7	0	1	1	6
2011–12	Norfolk Admirals	AHL		75	39	41	80	114		18	2	13	15	28
2012–13	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		36	12	16	28	56		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		35	9	15	24	16		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Ottawa Senators	NHL		12	2	3	5	6		8	3	0	3	31
2013–14	Ottawa Senators	NHL		60	4	16	20	34		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		19	3	3	6	16		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	New York Islanders	NHL		15	1	2	3	14		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL		28	5	17	22	30			—		—		—		—		—
2014–15	Utica Comets	AHL			20		7			9		16		22		23		5		3		8		28
SC Bern | NLA |48 |22 |30 |52 |68 |14 |5 |4 |9 |20
Syracuse Crunch | AHL |56 |17 |43 |60 |113 |22 |12 |16 |28 |27
Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL |11 |1 |3 |4 |4 |— |— |— |— |—
Syracuse Crunch | AHL |18 |7 |8 |15 |36 |— |— |— |— |—
Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL |36 |8 |4 |12 |24 |2 |0 |0 |0 |10
Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL |1 |0 |0 |0 |2 |— |— |— |— |—
Syracuse Crunch | AHL |70 |22 |42 |64 |95 |4 |1 |2 |3 |6
Syracuse Crunch | AHL |44 |14 |24 |38 |39 |— |— |— |— |} International Year Team Tournament Outcome GP G A Pts PIM 2015 Canada SC Template:Gold1 4 2 3 5 4 Senior career totals 4 2 3 5 4 Awards and honours Distinction Year College All-Atlantic Hockey First Team 2009–10 Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year 2009–10 All-Atlantic Hockey Second Team 2010–11 AHL Les Cunningham Award 2011–12 Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award 2011–12 All-Rookie Team selection 2011–12 Second All-Star Team honors 2011–12, 2016–17 Calder Cup champion (Norfolk Admirals) 2011–12 All-Star Game appearances 2017, 2019 CCM/AHL Player of the Month (November 2018) 2018–19 NLA League Champion 2015–16 External links